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How Do You Like Your Horde?

As a kid, I loved the idea of the Evil Horde being a marauding band that didn't have a lot of members, but were still feared. What they lacked in quantity they more than made up in power. The introduction of She-Ra and the concept of the Horde Empire being reminicent of the Galactic Empire with rebels kind of turned things on its ear for me when I was younger.

I am curious which Horde fans prefer. I never got too much into Hordak having a an arm cannon and shooting buzz saws from his chest, because I liked the mystical element more I think. I am curious as to when the bios and story unfold how Mattel will integrate and address Hordak's formidable sorcery with his mastery of technology as well.

As a kid, I loved the idea of the Evil Horde being a marauding band that didn't have a lot of members, but were still feared...I never got too much into Hordak having a an arm cannon and shooting buzz saws from his chest, because I liked the mystical element more I think

i completely agree with those 2 statements ...

following on with the star wars comparison you mentioned, the horde members sort of reminded me of the 'bounty hunters' in star wars ... even though i'm not convinced on the horde being bounty hunters as such, it's the vibe i got from them ...

''He-Man lives and possesses that key, I must possess all or I possess nothing!'' (Skeletor, 1987)

I had trouble reconciling this as a kid as well. The Horde was always a small group, but some of the most feared group that brought terror wherever they went.

As time has gone on, I've grown accustomed to the idea of the Horde being more of a galactic empire. However, I do like Hordak more interested in using mystical means to accomplish his goals, even if he has a wide array of technology at his disposal.

I much prefer them being a huge NAZI like army. Skeletor has his small band of criminals and outcasts and Hiss has a small group of survivors after being used to leading a huge army who are now trapped in the void. Hordak having an army makes his group different from the others.

As a kid, I loved the idea of the Evil Horde being a marauding band that didn't have a lot of members, but were still feared. What they lacked in quantity they more than made up in power. The introduction of She-Ra and the concept of the Horde Empire being reminiscent of the Galactic Empire with rebels kind of turned things on its ear for me when I was younger.

Wow, I'm having a deja-vu here. Did you say/type this the exact same way a few month ago...

I much prefer them being a huge NAZI like army. Skeletor has his small band of criminals and outcasts and Hiss has a small group of survivors after being used to leading a huge army who are now trapped in the void. Hordak having an army makes his group different from the others.

I agree with this. I always found Filmation's interpretation (in the good episodes) to be very authentic and powerful, although I like the idea of the Horde's early days as being quite small as described in Frogster's post. We all have to start somewhere and perhaps the army grew and grew after Hordak was first banishes from Eternia.

I agree with this 100%. I mean the fright zone playset was basically the scariest cave/dungeon ever residing in the scariest forest ever. That doesn't seem like a great hang out spot for a technological empire- but its perfect for a scary team of villians who hate everyone.

A group of really terrible Elder Evil-like villains with an army of Horde Troopers that rule Etheria from the Fright Zone Playset. No Horde Prime, no Horde Inspectors, catalogues or nephews and no galactic empire. Hordak is in complete control.

I always prerferred the Filmation idea (big surprise, right?). It gave him a major role in the mythos he couldn't have had just leading a small marauding band of monsters. The conflict between him and Skeletor added a lot to both of their personalities, with the hatred born of betrayal and the student becoming the equal of the master. The contrast was heightened by Hordak's reliance on technology vs. Skeletor's magic.

If he's just a warlord leading an un-merry band, he's lessened. As the guy who led the Horde against both Eternia and Etheria and stole Adora, he's an integral part of the mythos.

"I will use this power for all the good that can be done, to work for peace, to encourage virtue, and above all, to preserve life in all its forms..." Superman

I always prerferred the Filmation idea (big surprise, right?). It gave him a major role in the mythos he couldn't have had just leading a small marauding band of monsters. The conflict between him and Skeletor added a lot to both of their personalities, with the hatred born of betrayal and the student becoming the equal of the master. The contrast was heightened by Hordak's reliance on technology vs. Skeletor's magic.

If he's just a warlord leading an un-merry band, he's lessened. As the guy who led the Horde against both Eternia and Etheria and stole Adora, he's an integral part of the mythos.

You could have the same Horde with the small, but powerful Elder Evil group. When I say small, I mean the Horde characters and the legion of troopers and horde wizards.

I prefer mine extra crispy. Nothin' like a good 'ol fried Horde to clog up the works.

...seriously though, I never gave them much thought. I only had Hordak, Leech, and Mantenna. I think I just used them as more Skeletor goons back in the day, and I didn't really form an idea about Hordak until the 200X series. So, I guess I just work with the 200X idea.

"Since you got here by not thinking, it seems reasonable to expect that, in order to get out, you must start thinking." ~ Tock, the Watchdog

Alexx has a blog?! Come on in and check out Toys and Tomfoolery! You won't regret it...until the next morning.

I love the Horde, and especially Hordak, as they were presented in the 200X cartoon.
That to me is the Horde. They were dangerous and deadly.
Hordak especially was really cool and ruthless.

Filmation is definitely my least favorite incarnation of the Horde.
They were just a bunch of bunglers who pretended they were conquerors,
and Hordak had a superior. Dreadful.

Fictional characters are just that. Fictional. They have no personality or free will of their own.
Writers and editors mold them to their own wants and needs.
All we as the audience and fans can do is pick and choose our favorite interpretation and ignore the rest.

I liked the Filmation interpretation of the Horde and, in some respects, I liked the concept of Horde Prime. I thought that Horde Prime opened up the MOTU universe a bit more. Now instead of thinking about just two planets - Eternia and Etheria - the Horde had control over many more planets. This expanded the scope of the show.

Given this, it wasn't too hard for me to envision the Thundercats and SilverHawks universe being integrated with the MOTU universe.

I like my Horde as a mixture of the Filmation guys and the mini-comics, plus a ton of imagination thrown in.

In my personal universe, I view my Horde as galactic conquerors. They only ever rose to the size they are today because King Hiss and the Snake Men were banished into the timeless dimension. Without Hiss around to keep the Horde in check, the Horde had an easier time to conquer the other planets that were under Snake Men rule. Though the Horde never did manage to find the Snake Men home world.

Hordak will always be a sorcerer first for me, but one who renounced being a pure wizard after his greatest apprentice surpassed him. An apprentice who came to him as he was. Hordak never had a hand in creating Skeletor or even meeting Keldor. He only ever mentored Skeletor.

Once Skeletor surpasses his mentor, Hordak combines technology and magic together resulting in his arm cannon and all of his awesome transformations to set himself apart from the other magic users.

The Fright Zone to me is always the name of their home base on whatever planet they have access to. On Etheria, it is the giant industrial looking base from the cartoon while on Eternia, it is the cavern playset.

In my personal universe, the Horde is eventually defeated after King Hiss secretly manipulates a chain of events that causes Skeletor into attacking Hordak head on. After the pupil leaves a mortally wounded Hordak on the battlefield, Hiss steps out of the shadows and in typical villain fashion, reveals his master plan before he delivers the killing blow to Hordak, finally exacting his revenge upon Hordak for having a hand in his banishment back during the days of Preternia.

way I see it

The Horde is a mix of the vast Snakemen army (minus their pureblood bit- the Horde does not discriminate based on species, number of legs, hair color, etc.) and Skeletor's Evil Warriors. Hordak's leading officers don't quite have the raw power of Skeletor's group but they are more loyal. The Horde is a real military- complete with ranks and traditions and such. For example, the crossbow is standard issue. But it's become customary for a Horde member who's risen to the upper ranks to personalize his or her own crossbow.